


Layer after layer

by Perversion_Incarnate



Category: Deus Ex (Video Games), Deus Ex: Human Revolution, Deus Ex: Mankind Divided
Genre: Adam has feelings, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Anal Sex, Awkward Conversations, Awkward Sexual Situations, Bottom Pritchard, Bruises, Cheating, Dom/sub Undertones, Drunk Sex, Drunken Banter, Drunken Consent, Drunken Flirting, Drunken Kissing, Drunkenness, Established Adam Jensen/Francis Pritchard, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, Hangover, Hook-Up, Hypocritical Pritchard, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Light Masochism, M/M, Mac's gaydar is having a field day, Mildly Dubious Consent, Morning After, Post-Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, Rough Sex, Top MacReady
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-05
Updated: 2020-04-15
Packaged: 2021-03-01 17:06:57
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,945
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23500543
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Perversion_Incarnate/pseuds/Perversion_Incarnate
Summary: Frank is angry with Adam after a fight they have and gets drunk. In his drunken state he succumbs to the temptation of cheating on him. Needless to say, things backfire and he ends up in bed with someone Adam knows.
Relationships: Adam Jensen/Francis Pritchard, Francis Pritchard/Duncan MacReady
Comments: 9
Kudos: 16





	1. Flaw in the code

**Author's Note:**

> Well, since this is my 10th fic to date I figured I'd celebrate this so-called milestone by going down the uncanny valley and writing a...I'd love to say "rare-pair" but there's not a single fic out there about these two so here goes.
> 
> Fair warning for those that are sensitive to certain topics: it contains drunk sex, so in that regard, drunken consent which might be considered dubious by some. That and Pritchard is dating Adam so what he does here is essentially cheating. Just being extra careful here, but for people touchy about these subjects, just turn away right now please.
> 
> For those of you that don't mind, strap in, it's gonna be a wild ride :)

Lines and lines of code flashed before his eyes but no matter how hard he tried he just couldn’t concentrate, couldn’t make sense of even the simplest bits of it. Frank pushed the laptop back with a huff. This was all so stupid…

Getting up from the chair, he started pacing around the room. How could he ever have thought that this would work? Hell, him and Jensen could barely stand each other when they just had to work together. It was one snark-fest after another between the two of them since day one and yet here he was, wallowing in his pain. The pain he wouldn’t have to be in if he hadn’t made the stupid-ass decision of dating the most obnoxious person in the universe. Way to go, team Pritchard!

He gripped the bridge of his nose. This was unbearable. Stupid, ridiculous Jensen! He needed some air, needed to get out of here before he’d start scaling the walls. Grabbing his jacket and switching the laptop off somewhere along the way, he stalked out of the apartment. He wanted to go wherever his feet would carry him, wherever was not here.  
  


* * *

  
It wasn’t long before he found himself standing in front of a bar. There was a huge “naturals only” sign right by the entrance but given what the place looked like, he highly doubted that they had scanners or any other security measures worth mentioning. As long as he didn’t have prosthetic limbs or any other immediately obvious augments he was going to be fine. The bouncer by the door didn’t look like the sharpest tool in the shed either… Did he really want to go in there, though?

Considering how much hell he used to give Jensen for his drinking, it seemed ironic that he should end up getting drunk himself. Then again, maybe drinking himself into a stupor was exactly what he needed. He didn’t want to think too hard, didn’t want to dwell on what happened. It was all gnawing at him like a wild animal and he hated every second of it. Hated Jensen, hated himself…

He set his jaw. There was no need for any more reassurance than that. It was on.  
  


* * *

Frank wasn’t much of a drinker and it started to show after the first few shots he’d downed. How many did he have exactly? Probably too many if he didn’t know that…

Heaving out a quiet grunt, he got up from his chair and headed towards the bathroom, unsure whether he just needed to pee or his drink was about to make a nasty reappearance. The physical numbness and lack of brain activity felt strangely comforting in spite of that. It was exactly what he was going for. He finally wasn’t thinking about much of anything, let alone the shit-storm that took place in his apartment a few hours ago.

Sadly, his bliss was not meant to last as he suddenly bumped into someone. Or did that someone bump into him? It was hard to tell the difference at this point. Whichever the case, the guy stopped dead in his tracks and started saying something in broken-up Czech. Frank never bothered to learn a word of that gibberish in the first place, but it didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that the other man was definitely not a local. If the way he struggled with his words wasn’t indication enough, his accent sure was. It just didn’t fit. Uttering a quiet ‘sorry’ he pushed past him, hoping that the guy knew enough English to understand him, wherever he was from.

It seemed to be the case as the man simply shrugged and moved on, not paying any more attention to him. Finally, some privacy. Frank sighed as it all started coming back to him. Moving into this shit-hole of a city was just another one of those decisions that came with… He shook his head. He knew exactly whose fault it was that he was here now and he was going to need another drink to forget him again. That was, if the current ones would stay inside his stomach.

Luckily enough, they have and he was back by the bar before he knew it. Somewhat unsteady on his feet, sure, but still good to go for another round as far as he could tell. He signaled the bartender to make his order, mentally snorting at how masochistic that seemed. The vodka he was drinking was quite possibly the worst piece of crap he ever had the displeasure of tasting, but at least it was cheap and served its purpose quickly. If he ordered a chaser to come along with it, it was even close to bearable. At least remotely close.

As he finished up his order a voice spoke up from somewhere beside him: “You sure you can handle all that liquor, mate? You looked like hell back there.”

Frank whirled his head around, confused as to why anyone besides the bartender would bother talking to him.

There was a man sitting just one bar stool away from him and while there was nothing menacing about the tone of his voice, his looks sure said otherwise. His most prominent feature was the nasty scar starting at the corner of his lips and ending all the way up at his cheekbone. It was somewhat mitigated by the short scruffy beard he sported but still painfully obvious. He had short, perfectly manicured hair and a pair of intense dark eyes rimmed by crow’s feet, sure looked like he was well into his forties.

“Excuse me?” Frank managed.

The man gave him a hint of a smirk, evidently amused: “Look, all I’m saying is you should be more careful. That little chest bump we shared…well, let’s just say that some of the more sensitive folks hanging around here might consider that a challenge.”

Wait a minute…that accent. Frank almost cursed out loud. It was the same guy he ran into at the bathroom. Would explain why he struggled with his Czech so much, he was obviously British. Or was that Australian? He could just never tell those two apart.

“Yeah, um, thanks for the advice I guess.”

The man turned his attention back to his drink: “Don’t thank me until you’ve tried it.”

“Sure.” mumbled Frank, relieved that the bartender came back with his order. He turned and walked away without waiting for another response. That guy was giving off far too many conflicting signals for him to stick around.

* * *

Blurry around the edges, just a little too loud and just a little too... Frank chortled. A little too much of everything but at least he was finally back on track. Numb, unthinking, uncaring, just the way he liked himself. That Brit or Australian or wherever-the-hell-he-was-from at the bar though… He just couldn’t get him out of his mind. There was a certain something that guy had, Frank wouldn’t exactly call it charm, his looks and demeanor were far too gruff for that… Still, it was something, a certain allure. It was obviously just the alcohol talking, Frank knew it was, but he got up from his chair and half-sauntered half-stumbled towards the bar anyway.

He noticed him right away, still sitting on the same stool with his broad shoulders hunched over his drink. Frank dragged himself along, feeling like they’ve moved the bar at least half a mile further than it was before.

A few more unsteady steps and he felt himself leaning against the counter right beside him: “Hey.”

The man turned to him with a slightly raised eyebrow: “Hi.”

“Care if I buy you a drink?” Frank heard himself ask.  
  
The line was downright corny but given his new drunken confidence an obvious choice.

The man grinned, giving him a brief once-over before speaking: “Still got some left but hey, as long as it’s not that swill _you’re_ drinking, knock yourself out.”

“I’m not a fan either but it gets the job done.” shrugged Frank as he signaled the bartender. Raising his hand like that caused him to wobble for a bit. He’d better watch his step...  
  
The man obviously noticed that as he outright laughed this time: “What, the job being getting you cross-eyed drunk?”

“You’re not exactly sober yourself.” objected Frank.

“Nah, but I know how to handle my liquor. Not sure if I could say the same about you given what you look like.” answered the man simply.

Frank gave the bartender his order, happy to have an excuse to turn away for a second. He knew that he was obviously drunk, he just… He almost facepalmed. Who was he kidding, if he had the gall to walk up to a complete stranger and buy him a drink he had to be just a step away from shit-faced. Not to mention all the trouble he had with keeping his balance. He turned back to him, determined to continue his…he wasn’t even sure what he was doing anymore.

“Got a name that comes with those bold claims?”

The man chugged down his drink in a single large gulp. Didn’t look like it did much for him as he hardly even flinched.

“You can call me Mac. It’s what most people go for. And you are?”

“Frank.”

“Well then…” proclaimed Mac as the bartender brought their order. “Thanks for the drink, Frank.”

He raised his glass in a vague gesture of ‘cheers’ before kicking it back again. All of it. Such drinking habits reminded Frank of a certain someone he was trying to forget so he followed the other man’s example and kicked back his drink all at once too. It made him tear up a little and he knew he was going to regret it later but unless he wanted to spit it back into the glass he had to go along with it.  
  
He heard a chuckle from the side: “Careful there, princess.”  
  
Frank turned to his newfound drinking buddy, puzzled.

“Might hurt yourself trying to keep up with me like that.” Mac continued. “So far there have been only two guys that managed to out-drink me. One of them was Russian and the other one Finnish so what does that tell you?”

“That you’re a raving alcoholic just like someone else I know?” scoffed Frank, his mood immediately turning sour.

“Drinking troubles away?” Mac shot right back.

Maybe it was just Frank’s mind playing tricks on him but it seemed like that last comment neither amused the other man, nor insulted him. If anything, he looked somewhat curious.

_Damn it…_

Frank didn’t know what to say. This conversation definitely wasn’t heading the way he wanted it to. Why did he even want it to go on again? Somewhat wobbly on his feet, he braced his elbows against the counter before answering.

“None of your business.”

Mac’s lips twitched upwards with amusement: “So you are.”

“Don’t pretend you care. No one ever means that with me.” sneered Frank. That alcohol he downed was starting to affect him big time.

“Why would I?” shrugged Mac in response. It was downright infuriating how in-control he seemed by contrast. “Don’t really know you.” he added after a brief pause.

Frank had no idea what to say to that. For a second, he considered leaving but given how his vision was beginning to swim he figured that he’d better sit down, at least until he sobered up enough to walk away without tripping over his own feet. He slid onto the bar stool right next to Mac, bracing his elbows against the counter again. Falling face-first onto a hardened piece of wood was the last thing he needed right now.  
  
“That booze starting to kick your ass, mate?”

Frank almost sighed. So the swaying back and forth wasn’t his imagination… Great.

“I thought you didn’t care.” he bit back, trying to steady himself.

“Just make sure you turn the other way when you need to puke, ok? Would really appreciate that.”  
  
Was he honestly teasing him again? Frank gave him a stinkeye.

“Prick.”

Mac let out a hearty laugh at that: “Git.”

“Come on, is drinking and throwing insults all you can do with me?”

Frank stiffened just as those words left his mouth. Oh shit…did he really just say that out loud? Goddamn it, why did he have to drink himself stupid like this?

He looked up at the other man, hoping that the giant innuendo he just dropped somehow flew over his head. It obviously didn’t as Mac was grinning from ear to ear.

“Oh, so that’s what this is all about.” he drawled. “I’m flattered but I think you’re barking up the wrong tree here.”

“You’re straight.” assumed Frank immediately.

“Like hell I am.” laughed Mac. “Look, no offense, but you’re just not my kind of bloke.”

Frank rolled his eyes. Of course he wasn’t, he wasn’t anyone’s kind of guy.

“What, am I too skinny?” he heard himself ask. “Too annoying? There’s hardly anything I haven’t heard at this point.”

“Aren’t you a ray of sunshine…” chuckled Mac. “It’s both and a few other things on top but hey, at least you’re taking it in stride.”

“I’ll have you know that none of my partners ever complained once we actually got into bed.” Frank pushed on.

Normally, he would back down at this point but the alcohol was giving him limitless confidence. He wanted a piece of this man and he would get it, no matter how unlikely it seemed right now.

“If you managed to get past your preferences, I could make it worth your while.”

The answer he got wasn’t quite what he expected: “Yeah, let me guess, you’re the king of blowjobs.”

Frank didn’t find the joke funny at all but at least it wasn’t a blatant ‘no’. He could work with that.

“We can talk about it or you can see for yourself. In the meantime, how about I buy you another drink?”

Mac shook his head, the beginning of a grin forming at his lips: “Whatever.”

* * *

Frank reached out towards the keypad on the wall and started punching in the numbers, pleasantly surprised that he still remembered them in this state. His vision was somewhat blurry, his movements and posture more than a little unsteady… Simply put, he was absolutely wasted.

Thank god for that because if he were sober he never would have pulled this off. It would’ve rubbed his paranoia in all kinds of wrong ways to be standing here and typing in the access code to his apartment in front of…technically not a _complete_ stranger, but still someone he knew very little about. He rested his forehead against the wall, deciding that he was too drunk to deal with would be’s and what if’s.

“Getting cold feet?” he heard from his right. “Already told you I wouldn’t bite too hard.”

Funny how the tables have turned once he got a few more drinks into the other man. The flirting wasn’t so one-sided anymore.

His lips quirked upwards: “Never.”

Pushing the door open, he waited for Mac to get inside before slamming it shut and shoving him against the wall.

“Hey-“

Frank wasted no time and cut him off with a bruising kiss. It seemed like that last comment was a lie as the bite he received in response was quite sharp. Frank didn’t mind it at all, in fact, he felt like he’d be disappointed if it went any other way. Somewhat gleefully, he bit the other man right back. He could feel a pair of rough, calloused hands on his shoulders, pulling at his jacket. Letting it slide off his arms and down onto the floor, he broke off the kiss and started peeling off layer after layer of clothes from his partner in turn. He seemed to have little to no objections about it, the only thing he said being something about Frank knowing how to kiss. The hacker listened to him with only half an ear, too distracted by the view.

Mac had a very nice body, especially for someone who was nearing his midlife crisis years. It was all tight and muscular with a lot of hair and even more scars. None of them looked quite as bad as the one on his face but with how many he had… It made Frank wonder, who was this guy really?

He supposed that he could find out later the moment he felt those hands touching him again. Mac grabbed him and brought him in for another kiss, all while tugging at his clothes. Frank indulged him for a moment and let him open up his pants and roll up his t-shirt before breaking it off and stripping down himself. Tossing both sets of clothes somewhere into the room, he grabbed the other man’s wrist and led him to the bedroom.

They stumbled towards the bed, kissing and groping each other like there was no tomorrow. Frank pushed Mac down onto the mattress and climbed on top of him, stopping only briefly to retrieve some lube. As he popped open the cap he felt a hand grab his wrist.

“Sorry, but I don’t bottom.”

Frank couldn’t say that he was surprised. Given his looks, most men automatically assumed that they could just have their way with him. He almost scoffed. Given his partner’s looks he guessed that having his way with someone was just his usual MO, whether that someone was a skinny nerd or anyone else. He bit back the retort threatening to slip out of his mouth and instead went for something that wouldn’t ruin this whole thing.

“Of course you don’t.”

He pulled back from him, setting the lube back on the nightstand. At first, he desperately wanted to fuck someone, to just close his eyes and pretend that it was Adam. If that was not an option, switching roles was still preferable to having his current partner leave and letting his misery run free.

“Get over here and fuck me, then.” he heard himself say.

Mac laughed softly and scooted closer to him: “Thought you’d argue. At least for a bit.”

Frank almost sighed. He wouldn’t. Not today, not anymore.

“Shut up and get on with it.” he groaned as he laid back and pulled him over himself into another kiss.

It seemed like Mac didn’t need to hear anything else from him as within the next few seconds he pushed two lubed up fingers inside him. Frank was surprised by how gentle he was. The movements were small and calculated, just enough for him to feel them and get used to the intrusion.

Slowly, a third finger was added, then the fourth. Frank moaned with pleasure as they all scraped against his prostate, teasing him just right. He could feel himself loosening up, his arousal growing by the moment. Soon, it would take much more than just fingers to get him off.

“Fuck me.” he repeated, rolling his hips to get some more friction.

“You’re bossy.” Mac teased him as he pulled his hand back and started oiling up his cock. “And needy.” he added as he noticed how Frank squirmed and writhed the moment he let go of him.

The hacker paid little to no attention to either of those comments. All he wanted was to enjoy himself for a while and then go to sleep. He rolled over to his side and hauled himself up to his four, somewhat unsteady on his hands and knees. His head started spinning. Wasn’t he too drunk for this? Maybe he should lie back down…

He hardly had any time to think about that as Mac was behind him in an instant, teasing his entrance with the head of his cock this time. Frank spread his legs, reaching for his own and began stroking himself. A hand grasped him by the back of his neck, squeezing it almost painfully. Frank could feel his hair scratching him all over. When the hell did he pull it loose?  
  
He couldn’t help but moan as the other man slid into him, finally filling him up. Mac grunted and pulled out, only to push back in again, harder and faster. Frank closed his eyes and groaned. It stung a little but the pressure felt good, almost too good. He pushed back, encouraging his partner to move. Good or no good, he wouldn’t be satisfied until it was all in. Mac seemed to understand the gesture perfectly as the next roll of his hips gave him just that. Frank could feel some slickness leak into his hand and groaned again as the other man started fucking him in earnest.

The small calculated movements were all gone, replaced with roughness as he felt a pair of calloused hands grab him by his hips and hold onto him. Those fingers were digging into his flesh so hard they were bound to leave bruises but he supposed that it didn’t matter. Wouldn’t be the first time he’d end up all marked up and sore after sex. He sneered. Wouldn’t be the first time he’d enjoy it either.

Bowing his head, he gasped as Mac pounded into him with increasing speed and ferocity. He was like an animal cut loose, his moans and grunts echoing in the relative silence of the room. Usually, Frank would bury his face into the pillow so that he wouldn’t have to listen to himself as he was being fucked into oblivion but tonight he didn’t care. The world ceased to exist for him save for the man on top of him and the rhythmic smacks of flesh against flesh. This was so much more in line with what he expected, so much more in line with his partner’s gruff looks. He just wanted to enjoy every part of it while it lasted.

He sighed as the bed started creaking. Apparently, the weight of two grown men crashing into it like that was too much for it. Maybe burying his face into that pillow wasn’t such a bad idea after all… He winced as he felt a hand move from one of his hips up to the back of his neck again. It seemed like he would get no say in that as his partner grasped him firmly and pushed his head down. His hair was all in his face this time.

“Fuck…” Frank groaned as he felt the other hand haul his ass up. Those bruises were going to look so bad tomorrow… Still, being the glutton for punishment he was, he welcomed it. It made him feel alive.

“You like that, princess?” he heard from behind.

Mac punctuated the remark with an especially harsh thrust of his hips.

“Stop calling me that.”

Frank really intended for that to sound angry, but it came out just as a somewhat resigned moan. Maybe it was for the best because goddamn it, did he need this… He didn’t want to say or do anything that might make the other man lose interest and just leave him all hot and bothered like this.

There was a short guffaw and the hand around his neck loosened its grip, seconds before pulling back to settle on his hips again.

“I’ll take that as a yes.”

Frank gave him a short nod, unable to say or do much of anything. He was tense like a bowstring, just waiting for release. His knees bucked under him. He was going to come so hard…

Doing it immediately wasn’t exactly what he had in mind but he couldn’t stop it. Whatever little control he had left over his body has pretty much dissolved as he writhed and moaned. He let go of himself and would it not be for the strong hands at his hips he’d be lying on his stomach by now. His moans gradually turned into gasps as his orgasm faded away. He was oversensitive from all that pounding but it didn’t seem like his partner would stop. If anything, he started working him even harder. Frank could feel his weight on top of himself, pushing him deeper into the mattress. He wasn’t sure how much longer he could take it. Maybe it was the aftershocks of his orgasm, maybe he was just tired at this point, whichever the case, the way his vision started swimming again was less than reassuring. He heard a rough moan from above him as his partner started falling out of rhythm.

A few more thrusts and he felt a sticky, wet warmth fill him up. The death grip around his hips finally loosened. He blacked out before his head even hit the pillow.


	2. Rise and shine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The (awkward) 'morning after' comes in all its shiny glory.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And yes, I did make Adam have a serious case of the feels, sue me.

A massive headache, limbs feeling like they’re made out of lead and a mouthful of sand…yeah, just another peachy day in the desert. Another day he would spend chasing international terrorist threats only to realize a few days later that it was all for nothing as something even worse would begin rearing its ugly head. Mac scowled as he tried to swallow. Those goddamned sadists at high command and their rationing…have they even considered where his unit was headed before giving that sorry excuse for supplies the green light? How was he supposed to do anything dehydrated like this? The awful sensation in his mouth notwithstanding, the way his head was pounding was just… He clutched it with both his hands. It was as if he had a horse kicking it, repeatedly.

With a groan, he forced his eyes open. Better get this over with before he’d have to get up and pretend… He froze. There was a ceiling above him, even the glare of the sun was coming in through a window on the side. He pushed against the mattress he was lying on. A normal, soft bed? One of his hands moved down from his temple to settle on his face. Must’ve been one of those dreams again, from back when he was still with the Special Forces. They were always so vivid… He hated how confused they made him in the morning.

Rubbing at his eyes, he tried to swallow again to no avail. If he wasn’t in the desert there was only one other plausible answer to why he felt like garbage. He was at a bar last night. Probably got lucky and hooked up with someone as this was definitely not his apartment. The walls were the wrong color and the bed was too large. Rolling over to his side, he confirmed his theory as there was indeed someone lying next to him. The person had their back to him so he couldn’t see much. Long dark hair, slender frame, no curves though. He scooted a little closer, propping himself up on his elbow. One look at that face and he knew he did a guy. Not his usual kind of guy but, considering his luck from the past few weeks, at least he finally got laid. As far as he could recall it was pretty good, too. He furrowed his brow. What was the guy’s name again? He knew it was something short…

Maybe he should figure it out later. The pounding in his head was starting to get worse and his mouth felt like the inside of a hair dryer. What he needed to do right now was to get himself a glass of water, preferably with some aspirin. He mentally shook his head as he sat up. Why did he need to remember anyway? It wasn’t like he knew the other man in the first place. That and only god knew what kind of a mood he’d be in once he stopped playing Sleeping Beauty. The sanest thing to do was to grab that drink, find his clothes and get the hell out of here. He swung his feet over the edge of the bed and forced himself to get up, groaning as he felt something pop in his upper back.

As he stalked out of the bedroom, he found himself right in the living room. Or at least what he assumed to be a living room. The only part of it even remotely resembling an apartment was the corner with a couch and a TV right opposite of it. The rest of the room looked more like an impromptu workshop of sorts. It was packed to the brim with all kinds of spare parts and tech. Mac gave the room a brief once-over. He had no idea what all that crap was. Pretty much the only thing he recognized was the laptop on the coffee table. He still couldn’t remember what his hook-up’s name was, but one thing was obvious – the guy was a massive geek. Probably spent most of his time holed up in here working on whatever tech project he set his mind to.

Careful not to bump into anything, Mac made his way towards the small kitchenette at the opposite end of the room. A cooker, fridge and a clean counter with what appeared to be a fully functional coffee machine… Nice, that looked pretty normal for a change. He headed towards the sink, checking every cabinet along the way to find a glass. At this point he was willing to murder someone and pry it out of their cold dead hands. Luckily, he didn’t need to as the glasses were right above the sink. He grabbed one of them, pouncing for the faucet like a man possessed.

His thirst wasn’t quenched until he downed two full glasses in a row. The headache was still pretty bad but at least now he didn’t feel like he had a roll of sandpaper instead of a tongue. He turned back to the supposed living room and was just about to start looking for his clothes when he heard a chirp at the door. Someone was coming.

_Oh shit… Shit, shit, shit!_

Mac groaned. This was just his luck, a guy who evidently lives alone gets a visit at the exact moment he’s here. Couldn’t they have come just a little bit later? He would’ve been gone by then. Looking around nervously, he contemplated his options. There really weren’t any to speak of, he was naked for fuck’s sake!

The door swung open and shut, some steps heading inside. One person. At least it wasn’t a crowd…

“Francis?”

Mac’s eyes widened. The visitor sounded very raw, like he just swallowed a carton of cigarettes and then washed it down with some cement. There was only one person with a voice like that.

“Francis, you home?”

Mac leaned against the counter, puzzled. What the fuck was _Jensen_ doing here?

It seemed like he would find out soon enough as the Aug came into view a second later. He stopped dead in his tracks, his eyebrows flying up the moment he noticed him.

“MacReady?”

With his eye-shields retracted and that startled expression on his face he looked shockingly human. Mac realized now why he kept those things engaged all the time, despite them being obvious augments his eyes were a dead giveaway of what he was thinking. Jensen didn’t want people to know what he thought, not really and not ever. This was the first time Mac’s ever seen how expressive he could be. Would probably end up being the only time once he managed to get out of here.

Reaching up to rub the back of his neck, he kept his answer simple: “Jensen.”

The Aug stopped at the opposite side of the counter, giving him a brief once-over.

“What are you doing here?”

“Could ask you the same thing.” shrugged Mac.

“Yeah, well, I asked first.” countered Jensen, crossing his arms.

“It doesn’t matter, I was just leaving anyway.” Mac tried to downplay it, shifting on his feet.

The right side of the Aug’s mouth quirked upwards: “Uh-huh.”

At that, Mac started internally screaming. He could hardly imagine a situation more awkward than this. Not only was he standing behind some random guy’s kitchen counter butt-naked, but the one person who happened to find him like that just had to be Jensen. He couldn’t think of a single thing to say, most importantly, he had no idea how to get the fuck out of here without parading around right in front of him. Once he’d see him like that… Jensen was many things but naïve was not one of them, he’d figure it out right away. Hell, judging by that amused smirk of his he probably knew already.

“You alright, MacReady? If I didn’t know any better I’d say you’re having a panic attack.”

“Don’t be a wally, Jensen, I’m fine.” Mac heard himself respond.

“Yeah, I suppose you’re as fine as you could be given that you’re probably naked.”

Mac froze. How did he… The counter was too high for him to see anything, did he have x-ray vision in those augged out eyes of his? Mac could feel the heat building up as his face was starting to turn red with embarrassment.

“What? No, I… That’s ridiculous! Why would I-”

To his surprise, rather than mocking him further the Aug raised his hands in a calming gesture: “I know what happened last night. Francis drunk-texted me.”

Francis? Mac furrowed his brow. Right… Now he remembered… Frank – that’s how his hook-up introduced himself and that’s why he thought the guy’s name was short. He gave Jensen an incredulous look.

“He texted you that he’s with someone and you’ve decided that you’d come in and take a look at the guy?”

“I didn’t think you’d be here anymore, it’s almost 3PM.” came the gravelly answer. “To be honest, I never would’ve guessed he’d end up with _you_ , I mean…” Jensen shook his head. “What are the odds?”

“Yeah, right back at you.” grumbled Mac. “Out of all the people that could come visit him I never thought it would be you.” He snorted. “Hell, I wasn’t expecting anyone to begin with. It seemed like he didn’t have any friends.”

“Yeah, we’re…not really friends.” responded Jensen somewhat haltingly. “I guess it makes sense that he wouldn’t tell you, I mean, with all that’s happened.”

That last sentence startled Mac like a dive into cold water. Maybe it was just the unusual sight of the other man fussing over anything, but the way he said that... It just didn’t fit. Jensen could be very sarcastic when he set his mind to it, hell, he could even get angry when push came to shove, but most of the time he was just…himself. Stoic and unreadable, it was like he hardly had any feelings to begin with. Having him crack like that… Maybe it was because of those expressive eyes of his, but it felt kind of too personal and Mac didn’t know what to say.

It seemed like Jensen didn’t expect him to answer anyway as he let out a soft humorless laugh: “It’s my own damn fault. We had a fight yesterday and I know how he thinks, probably figured that I was breaking up with him.”

Mac stared back at him, still very much speechless. So he did get that right, his co-worker, the one with the biggest stick up his ass was also gay...or bi…or… He had a boyfriend for crying out loud! A boyfriend he just happened to… Did he think this was awkward before? It was a goddamned cakewalk compared with how awkward it turned now.

Still, there was something, a hint of a memory nagging him somewhere in the back of his mind. He didn’t doubt for a second that he was very drunk last night, after all, he had one bitch of a hangover to show for it, but there was this one thing… He groaned and facepalmed as it hit him, feeling like the biggest fool in the universe.

“Fucking Christ…I’m gonna kill him.”

Jensen had nothing to say to that but Mac could still feel his eyes on him. With a sigh, he looked up at him and clarified: “Frank mentioned you alright, except according to him you were his ‘heavily augmented ex’. That and he didn’t really give me a name so I had no idea he was talking about you.” He fidgeted a little, his expression turning apologetic. “I’m sorry, Jensen, I really am. I should’ve figured it out. Shit… I never would’ve gone anywhere with him if I knew you guys were still together.”

Jensen shook his head: “I’m just surprised. I never would’ve guessed you were into men, too.”

Mac couldn’t help but chuckle at that: “Yeah, I get that one a lot. It’s not like I keep it a secret though, people just tend to stick with their assumptions and never ask.” He shrugged. “A bloke my age can’t really afford to be picky I guess.”

Jensen gave him an amused hum: “If you say so.”

The sensible thing to do was to excuse himself and finally get out of here but given the Aug’s reaction or rather, the evident lack of it, Mac just couldn’t help it. If they were somehow being this blunt with each other he wanted to know.

“You’re taking this surprisingly well.” he commented. “I didn’t think you would. Damn, I sure as hell wouldn’t if I were you… I mean, don’t take this the wrong way, but that boyfriend of yours sure is a piece of work.”

“Yeah, that’s Francis for you.” snorted Jensen.

For a moment it seemed like he would leave it at that but then he continued, somewhat more hesitantly: “I get why he did what he did. We argued pretty bad and he’s always been rather…adventurous when it came to certain things. It’s just funny that he picked someone I know.”

“You really love the guy.” concluded Mac, still trying to process a few things. Most notably the reason why the other man was giving him so many straight answers at once.

Jensen’s lips spread into what could almost be considered a genuine smile, it didn’t quite reach his eyes though and he kept his answer simple this time: “He never lies to me.”

Mac raised his eyebrows a little but decided not to pry. He could certainly relate, but given the situation, he felt like he asked too many questions already, plus his headache was beginning to worsen again and… Oh, right, he still needed to get out of the apartment that wasn’t his and figure out which part of Prague he ended up in.

Inching towards the edge of the counter, he was just about to excuse himself when he heard a thud and a hoarse groan from the bedroom. It seemed like Frank was back among the living…at least partially. If he fell out of bed like Mac suspected he did, the guy was in for double the pain. He wouldn’t wish such a sorry state upon anyone, let alone someone he slept with…even if that someone _was_ an asshole.

“How much did he drink last night?” Jensen asked, snapping him out of it.

Mac furrowed his brow. Well, wasn’t that the million dollar question…

“Honestly? I wish I knew. He’s too much of a lightweight.”

Jensen shook his head with a sigh: “Yeah, I know. He’s usually just on coffee.”

Mac couldn’t help but snort at that. He knew that he probably shouldn’t have but the way the other man said that... It sounded like he was talking about a misbehaving toddler rather than his boyfriend.

“Right. Well, he was on vodka last night.”

“Wonderful.” muttered Jensen under his breath.

There was another sound from the bedroom, some shuffling footsteps this time. They both looked to the doorway just as Frank came into view. To his credit, he actually put on a pair of pants but if he felt the same as what he looked like, Mac sure didn’t envy him. Paler than death, unsteady on his feet and hunched over as if he was in pain… His hair was an absolute mess, too and he stared at them with a pair of sunken, bloodshot eyes with dark circles underneath. Judging by the look he was giving them it seemed like he had some trouble placing Mac but as his eyes settled on Jensen… For a moment it looked like he would say something, probably curse at him if his expression was any indication, but then he just grimaced and clutched his stomach, dragging himself towards a door Mac hasn’t noticed before. Given the state he was in, he threw it open and shut with surprising ferocity, locking himself in. Hardly two seconds later, there was a choked gasp and some sickly noises as he started vomiting.

Mac rubbed the back of his neck, daring a peek at Jensen. The Aug seemed to forget that he was even there, his gaze focused upon the door and his jaw working intensely. Mac supposed that drama like this was exactly the reason why he gave up on marriage after his third try. Come to think of it, he pretty much gave up on relationships altogether…evidently for the best.

“It looks like you guys have a lot to talk about.” he coughed after a moment.

“Yeah, we do.” rumbled Jensen quietly. “I’ll…let you get dressed.” he added as he headed towards the locked door.

“Thanks.” muttered Mac as he finally stalked out of the kitchenette started rummaging around the messy living room. He never wanted to get out of anywhere faster and given his history, that was saying something.


End file.
